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Important Facts For Prelims

Humboldt Penguin

  • 22 Sep 2021
  • 1 min read

Why in News

Recently, Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo announced the addition of two new Humboldt penguin chicks.

Key Points

  • About:
    • Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus Humboldti) are a medium-sized species with an average height of just over 2 ft.
    • They have large, bare skin patches around their eyes, an adaptation to help keep them cool.
    • Their breeding season in the wild is either March-April or September-October depending on the location of the colony.
    • They are one of the most popular zoo penguins due to their ability to withstand warmer climates.
  • Habitat:
    • Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru.
      • They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterised by cold waters.
  • Threats:
    • Entanglement in fishing nets, loss of key breeding sites, harvesting of guano for use as fertiliser, and being hunted by introduced species such as cats and dogs.
  • Protection Status:

Source: IE

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